Tool coupler



u 1931- R. w. BROWN TOOL COUPLER Filed Jan. 30, 1929 fiayffirawn INVENTOR,

Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAY W. BROWN, 01' ALT ADEN'A, OALH'OBNIA, ASSIGNOK BY ASSIGmTO HENRY DALZ ELL WILSON, OI PITTSBURGH, IENNSYLVANIA 'roor. cournm Application filed January 80, 1888. Serial No. 888,817.

This invention relates to mechanical appliances and particularly to detachable tool members and respective sockets therefor.

In my application Ser. No. 311,504 filed October 10, 1928 there is shown a tool member having a shank with a conical, non-stlcking body to be secured against end play and for rotative coaction therewith.

. Fig. 2.

The present invention has for an ob'ect to provide a detachable clamp means 1nc uding a collar part and an inseparable gripping device thereon whereby to jam the shank to a firm seat true on the axis of the socket structure, and to provide for ready extraction or free dropping of the said shank upon a small degree of releasing of the holding means.

A still further object is to provide a socket and non-jamming tool parts and a gripping means of extremely simple structure, of low cost and reliable action, and of long life.

Other objects, features and advantages of construction, combination and details and mode of operation and method of manufacture will be made manifest in the ensuing description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, spirit and principle of the invention as it is hereinafter claimed and within the letter thereof.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a' dental tool incorporating the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail, sectional view (enlarged scale) of the driven assembly.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the detached clamp or wedgy.

Figure 4 is a plan of the wedgy.

Figure 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of While the invention is here shown as adapted to a dental tool handpiece it 1s to be understood that it may be incorporated in sundry combinations where it is desirable to detachably retain a clamped implement in a complementary socket structure.'

The tool is shown as adapted to a shell 2 having a lateral hub 3 for a drive gear shaft 4 from which power is transmitted to gear 5 which is rigid with a running barrel 6.

The barrel is journaled inthe shell between a cap screw bearing 7 and a bottom bushing 10 screwed into the shell2.

The barrel 6 has asocket or bore ll fo r the reception of the shank 12 of an implement I, here shown as a dental burr.

The shape of the shank 12 and the bore 11 of the socket is of such design or conical angle as to precludethe probability of the j ammin or sticking of the shank in the socket an therefore obviating the need of any inherent or any extraneous ejecting means when the implement is to be detached from the socket.

Preferably the socket bore and the shank are of conical form so that the shank can be firmly seated without side play and will set true on the axis of the tool for high degree of precision during operation.

Means are provided to solidly and quickly seat the inserted shank and hold it in'place wlthout relative motion as to. the barrel. As here shown this means is in the form of a cyhndrical jamming annulet 13, which because of its operative effect will herein be called the wedgy.

. The wed has an inner diameter, when free, sllght y greater than that ofa complementary shoulder 14 of the shank 12. This shoulder registers with a reverse, counter-bore shoulder 15 in the bottom of the barrel 6 and whlch forms an abutment for the rounded or chamfered top ridge or nose of the annular wed 13. v

e wedgy has a bottom, transverse, exterior flange or base 13and this preferably floatably fits in'a'n annular recess 17 formed in a collar 17 which has a threaded part 18 screwing onto the lowerend of the barrel 6.

In the present form the part 18 is fixed rigidly in the collar 17 and overhangs the flange 13- of the wedgy so that this is retained inseparable from the collar 17 if this should be run off the barrel end. i

The bore of the clam collar 17 is slightly larger than the shank s oulder 14 so that it I ing collar 17 is screwed up after the tool shank has been passed into place in the bore 11. When the collar is screwed up the nose edge of the wedgy 13 contracts until it impinges against the shoulder 14, whereupon the shank is forced solidly to its seat in the bore.

When so set it is practically impossible to pull the shank from the socket since the metal wed wall is solidl buttressed by the backing s oulder 15 an yet only a turn of the clam collar 17 is needed to fully release the sha following which it will drop from the barrel while the tool is held upright.

Any appropriate, rotary drive interlock may be employed to combine the shank 12 and the barrel 6 for rotation. As here shown the shank 12 has a flat tang or tip 12 complementary to a drive socket part 6.

What is claimed is:

1. A socket structure and an implement having a shank com lementary to the socket, said shank and sai socke't having opposite, reverse angle shoulders, and means for bolding the shank in said socket and including a collar attachable to the socket and a contractive wedgy in the collar closable by reaction on the socket shoulder to embrace the shoulder of the shank.

2. A coupler collar having a shank-gripping, contractive device inseparably mounted therein, a socket part to which the collar is attachable and having a shoulder to contract said device, and a shank having a conical shoulder having a seating thrust action by said device.

3. A coupler collar attachable to a socket member and having an inseparable wedgy including an annular jamming nose contractive by the socket wall and a conical shank part engaged by thrust action.

4. A coupler includin a nut, a socket having an internal conical s oulder and a shank seat, a shank having a body part to bear on said seat and having a shoulder of reverse angle to and opposite said socket shoulder, and a slit wedging'device interlocked loosely in the bore of the nut and having an annular nose extending axially and whose rim is contracted by said socket shoulder against and under said shank shoulder, as the nut is screwed on the socket.

RAY W. BROWN.

the contracted wedgy with an end 

